Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a tamping tine for a tamping machine for tamping ballast underneath a railroad track.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,763 to Crowell describes a tamping tine of this general type. That tamping tine, referred to as a tamping tool, has hardened metal plates that are fastened to both the tine pad and the lower end of the shank in order to optimize the resistance to abrasion during working operations. The lower end of the tine shank is formed with an offset and has a step-shaped recess for receiving the tine pad.